Forward FPJ-7XL Review: Budget 7,000-lb Extended Portable for Truck Owners

Forward Lift is the value brand of Vehicle Service Group, the Dover division that owns Rotary, and it sells through the same dealer network at a lower price tier. The FPJ-7XL is its extended-frame 7,000 lb portable lift, the truck-sized sibling of the FPJ-5, on the standard two-frame layout: a hydraulic cylinder and heavy-duty lock bars in each frame, one 110V power unit, hoses and rubber blocks.

The listed specifications are 7,000 lb capacity for the pair, 23.5 in maximum rise, 3.5 in collapsed height, 62 in frames, about 16 seconds to full rise, 184 lb per pair, a 4,000 psi hydraulic ceiling and a one-year limited warranty. Forward includes truck-specific lift pad adapters in the box, which the pros list notes and which most competitors sell separately.

The estimated price is $1,999, about $100 over the QuickJack BL-7000SLX estimate and the same as the Greg Smith GS-PJ7. The FPJ-7XL is not sold on Amazon; Forward's channel is its dealers, and a dealer that installs Rotary shop lifts is a useful place to buy a frame lift from.

7,000 lb covers every half-ton pickup and full-size SUV, including a lifted Ram 1500 on 35s, a Suburban or an Expedition Max, and the lighter gas three-quarter-tons at the curb. A diesel 2500 or any 3500 exceeds the rating with fuel and gear aboard, and the rating is for the pair.

The 62 in frames are the second-longest in this group, 1.5 in short of the QuickJack BL-7000SLX's 63.5 and 2 in beyond the 8000TLX's 60. Crew cabs with standard beds and long-wheelbase SUVs fit; the longest extended-cab and long-bed configurations should be measured, because frame-rail lift points spaced past the pad travel simply do not go on. Forward does not publish a fitment database like QuickJack's, so the measurement is the buyer's job.

Collapsed height is 3.5 in, fine under a truck and workable under most cars on lowering springs. A sedan in the same household can use the lift, but 62 in frames under a short car are awkward and the frame weight makes it a poor tool for a quick brake job on a Civic.

23.5 in of rise under a truck with 9 or 10 in of ground clearance puts the frame rails around 33 in off the floor: rolling-stool height, covering driveshafts, differential covers, shocks and leaf-spring hardware, brakes, hubs, exhaust and transfer case service. Pulling a transmission on a full-size truck is out of scope for any frame lift. Rise time is about 16 seconds.

The truck adapters matter more than they sound. A frame lift meets a body-on-frame truck at the frame rails, which sit higher and are shaped differently from a unibody car's pinch welds, and reaching them safely takes tall blocks with a profile that seats on the rail. QuickJack includes tall blocks with its truck models; several competitors sell them separately. Forward puts adapters in the box.

The heavy-duty dual lock bars are the load path. Raise past the lock, lower the frames onto it, confirm both, then get under. Forward does not advertise ALI certification for the FPJ-7XL and it does not appear in the ALI directory; the QuickJack BL-7000SLX did. On a 6,000 lb truck that is the specification to weigh most carefully.

184 lb per pair means each 62 in frame is about 92 lb, a two-person carry or a frame-cart job for most owners, and a cart should be part of the budget for weekly use. Stored, the frames stand against a wall and take a foot more space than a standard-length pair; the power unit goes on a shelf.

The power unit runs on a household 110V outlet. At 6,000 lb the pump is near the top of its work and the cons list notes it is louder than the QuickJack's. A dedicated circuit near the truck keeps it from laboring, and long extension cords should be avoided. Floor space matters as well: 62 in frames project past a truck's sides and the hoses need a clear run to the unit.

Setup is the standard routine at truck scale: frames under the frame-rail lift points, adapters and blocks stacked to reach them, hoses routed clear of tires and exhaust, a few inches of lift to confirm all four pads, then full rise and onto the locks. The cons list on the FPJ-5 flags stiff hoses on Forward's smaller lift; a buyer should expect the same here.

The QuickJack BL-7000SLX, at about $100 less, offers 63.5 in frames, 24.5 in of rise, ALI certification and a two-year warranty, without truck adapters in the box. For a buyer who wants the certificate it is the better lift for less money.

The Greg Smith GS-PJ7, at the same price, offers 60 in frames, a 4,200 psi hydraulic ceiling and a three-year warranty from a domestic parts operation. Against the Forward's one-year warranty that is a strong argument, offset only by the Forward's 2 in of extra frame and its adapters.

The Forward FPJ-5, at $700 less, is the 5,000 lb sibling with 49 in frames, the right choice for a household without a truck.

Buy the FPJ-7XL for a half-ton or full-size SUV garage where a Rotary-group dealer is nearby, the adapters are welcome, and certification is not the deciding factor. Skip it for sedans, and price the QuickJack and the GS-PJ7 before committing, because both make a strong case at this money.